Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1122 - 1.2.1 Continuing Internet Evolution

Top: Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
Up: Requests For Comments
Up: RFC 1122
Up: 1. INTRODUCTION
Up: 1.2 General Considerations
Prev: 1.2 General Considerations
Next: 1.2.2 Robustness Principle

### 1.2.1 Continuing Internet Evolution

The enormous growth of the Internet has revealed problems of management and scaling in a large datagram-based packet communication system. These problems are being addressed, and as a result there will be continuing evolution of the specifications described in this document. These changes will be carefully planned and controlled, since there is extensive participation in this planning by the vendors and by the organizations responsible for operations of the networks.

Development, evolution, and revision are characteristic of computer network protocols today, and this situation will persist for some years. A vendor who develops computer communication software for the Internet protocol suite (or any other protocol suite!) and then fails to maintain and update that software for changing specifications is going to leave a trail of unhappy customers. The Internet is a large communication network, and the users are in constant contact through it. Experience has shown that knowledge of deficiencies in vendor software propagates quickly through the Internet technical community.

Next: 1.2.2 Robustness Principle

Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
RFC 1122 - 1.2.1 Continuing Internet Evolution